To ensure that all qualified media agencies have the appropriate access, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, in conjunction with the Big 12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference, will use the following credentialing guidelines that have been developed by the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision commissioners, the Notre Dame athletic director and the College Football Playoff. Each request will be subject to the discretion of the bowl media director and the host conferences.

Requests for all working media credentials shall be made through the official credential website (linked above). The deadline for applying is Thursday, December 10, 2015.

A “press agency” for purposes of these criteria shall mean a daily or weekly publication, cable system, radio or television station or network having a legitimate working function and requiring immediate news coverage. “Immediate news coverage” for purposes of these criteria shall mean that the editorial, audio and/or visual deadline for the bowl game action being documented occurs no later than six days after the competition at the site has been completed.

A press agency or television or radio station in the bowl’s immediate geographic area that has staffed Division I college football games on a regular basis throughout the season and does not otherwise meet the criteria may be designated as a “minority media enterprise.” A “minority media enterprise” shall mean a business enterprise involved in the dissemination of college football news on a weekly basis or more frequently to audiences from ethnically, socially or culturally diverse backgrounds. Such minority media enterprises may receive one press box credential if space is available. International media and agencies are further addressed within these policies.

Membership in a writers, or broadcasters association does not automatically qualify an agency or individual for credentials.Having been credentialed for other bowl games does not automatically qualify an agency or individual for credentials.

An individual holding a credential must adhere to the terms and conditions of the credential and is subject to removal from the stadium for violating credential policies.

Except for television camera and truck operators, a credential may be issued only to an authorized full-time, salaried representative of, or a representative who regularly and customarily performs services for, the agency submitting the request. Credentials are not transferable.

Executives and/or staff without game day duties or assignments will not be credentialed.

Each entity shall only qualify for one category.

Credential requests will be considered only if they are submitted by the sports editor, by the sports director/producer or by the photo editor.

Subject to limitations of space and at the Director of Media Relations’ discretion, credentials at all sites shall be assigned in accordance with the following policies:

PRINTSeparate publications sharing common ownership may not be combined for purposes of meeting circulation or other criteria.

1. A daily agency with circulation greater than 50,000, a weekly with circulation greater than 500,000 or a monthly with circulation greater than 750,000 will be identified as “national media” and will qualify for credentials. Press agencies may receive credentials according to the following circulation requirements:

Daily Circulation Credentials50,000 – 99,999 one seat100,000 – 199,999 two seats200,000-299,999 three seats300,000-499,000 four seats500,000-699,999 five seats700,000 and above six seats

Weekly Circulation Credentials500,000-3 million two seats3 million and above three seats

Monthly Circulation Credentials750,000-3 million two seats3 million and above three seats

2. An agency that does not meet Criterion No. 1 may qualify for credentials if a full-time staff member has covered all of the participating institution’s regular-season games.

3. The Associated Press and the primary newspaper(s) that provide daily coverage at the site of the bowl game may receive a maximum of eight seats.

4. At the media director’s discretion, a maximum of two credentials may be issued to reporters representing the non-sports side of the major newspaper that covers all regular-season games of the participating institution.

5. At the media director’s discretion, a maximum of two credentials may be issued to reporters representing the non-sports side of the major newspaper in the host city.

6. The official student newspaper from each participating school may be issued four credentials.

7. The official yearbook from each participating school may be issued one credential.

8. The official alumni magazine from each participating school may be issued one credential.

9. No other institution publications will be granted access unless space allows.

STILL PHOTOGRAPHYSports editors or photo editors shall request all credentials. Most media agencies will be limited to a maximum of two credentials. Subject to limitations of space, credentials for photo staff members shall be assigned to agenciesrequiring immediate news coverage in accordance with the following priorities:

1. The primary press agencies from New Orleans that cover college football on a regular basis may receive a maximum of four credentials.

2. The Associated Press, Getty, Sports Illustrated and USA TODAY Sports Images each may receive a maximum of six credentials. Reuters, Icon and Cal Sports Media may receive a maximum of four credentials.

3. A press agency with a minimum daily circulation of 350,000, a weekly circulation of 500,000, or a monthly circulation of one million may receive one credential.

4. A participating institution may receive a total of four credentials for media/photo agencies that do not meet the minimum daily or weekly circulation requirements. These agencies shall be certified by the director of athletics or designated representative of the participating institution to have staffed at least 80 percent of its games throughout the season.

5. A publication whose primary purpose is the coverage of college football and does not meet the criteria listed above may be eligible for one credential at the discretion of the host media director.

6. Each athletics department may be issued three photographer passes, plus one pass with stadium access for a crowd photographer. This includes the institution’s official website and any other athletic department entities.

7. A maximum of four photographers certified by the director of media relations for each participating school may be issued to media organizations affiliated with the school (e.g. student newspaper, yearbook, alumni magazine) and all other media organizations whose coverage is primarily directed at such institution and its activities. The student newspaper shall be granted two of these credentials.

8. A maximum of two credentials may be granted for each participating conference.

9. A temporary sideline credential may be issued to one photographer designated by each school’s director of media relations to photograph the band’s pregame, halftime and postgame only.

10. For access to the sidelines, photographers must wear vests provided by the bowl. For semifinal games, these vests must be numbered.

TELEVISION1. A television station or regional cable network from New Orleans may be represented by a maximum of two crews. However, only one credential will provide field access.

2. A television station or regional network from the locale of the participating institution, which has staffed all of its home games may qualify for one (1) crew. However, only one credential will provide field access.

3. A conference’s television or digital network may be entitled to be represented by a maximum of two crews; additional credentials may be issued at the discretion of the host media director. However, only one credential will provide field access.

4. Each division (i.e., the sports, news, entertainment and affiliate divisions) from a national television network or cable system that originates a daily sports news program (e.g., Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, CNN) may be represented by one crew. However, only one credential will provide field access.

5. A television station in a market area estimated to have a minimum of two million U.S. television households (Top 10) the previous year by the A.C. Nielsen Company may be represented by one crew. However, only one credential will provide field access.

6. At the discretion of the host media director, no more than two credentials may be authorized to other news services that have news and sports programming.

7. Each participating institution may be represented by a maximum of three crews (athletic department, coaches’ show, coaches’ video, etc.).

8. A crew is defined as no more than four individuals, including one camera operator.

RADIO1. Two credentials may be assigned to a radio station in the geographic area of the bowl city that regularly covers college football games (i.e., full-time staff members attend games and file reports) and airs six or more sports reports each day.

2. One credential may be assigned to an individual from a radio station that covers (i.e., full-time staff members attend games and file reports) at least 90 percent of a participating institution’s home games and airs six or more sports reports each day.

3. One media credential may be assigned to each of the following radio entities: American Forces Radio, ABC, AP, CBS, Fox Sports Radio, NBC, National Public Radio, Yahoo Radio, Sports Byline USA, USA Radio Network and Voice of America. This credential must be requested by the sports editor/assignment editor from the radio entity.

4. A radio network that will originate a live play-by-play broadcast is entitled to the number of individuals it used to originate games during the most recently completed regular season. Entities that produce national radio broadcasts under rights assigned through ESPN shall be limited to a maximum of eight credentials.

5. Credentials may be assigned to student radio stations that cover the participating team during the regular season. Student radio shall be limited to a maximum of six credentials.

6. One credential may be assigned to a full-time staff member of a radio station in a market area representing at least four million radio homes (Top 10) that regularly covers college football games and has a daily sports talk program.

DIGITAL AND ONLINE MEDIA1. Credential(s) may be issued to full-time staff members of an online agency that (1) registers at least ten million unique users per month in each of the 12 months before the game and (2) covers college football daily.

2. The official web site of a competing institution, as designated by the school’s sports information director, may receive a maximum of three credentials (with a maximum of two seats).

3. The official web site of a competing conference, as designated by the conference’s sports information director, may receive a maximum of two credentials in addition to the conference’s credentials noted elsewhere in this policy.

4. A print, radio or television agency will not receive more credentials than the number provided for elsewhere in this document. An agency may allot one (or more) of its credentials to its online entity.

5. If space is available, an online entity that does not meet the other criteria herein may qualify for credentials if a full-time staff member has covered all of the participating institution’s regular season games. Such credential may be issued only to a full-time staff member.

6. Online entities will not receive during-game field access.

7. An online service that is recognized as an outlet intended primarily for the purpose of delivering news related to the recruitment of student-athletes does not qualify for credentials.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIAWhen space is available, credentials will be issued to a full-time, salaried employee or a representative who regularly and customarily performs services for:

1. A newspaper that has a minimum circulation of five percent of the total population of the country.

2. A specialty publication that has a minimum circulation of one percent of the total population of the country.

3. The official publication of the country’s organization for governance of “American football.”

4. A television station that has a signal reaching 25 percent of the homes in the country.

5. Each of the two largest sports networks in the country.

6. All international media requests must be accompanied by a letter of request (in English) from the sports editor/director on official company letterhead.

Agencies Not EligibleCredentials shall not be issued to the following:

1. Persons solely for the purpose of writing or gathering material for books, short films or movies.

2. Magazines (semi-annual, quarterly or annual).

3. Representatives of syndicated television or cable programmers who are not producing programs for immediate news coverage (i.e., to air within 24 hours).

6. Scouts from professional teams; (the bowls will offer to sell tickets to the professional league office if requested and if tickets are available, with the understanding that the professional league will distribute the tickets to the teams as it wishes).

7. Agencies that normally provide specific services for a media agency (e.g., scores) if many of its clients have been accredited to staff the event.